‘Lombardi-gras’ celebration in New Orleans

It was one of the gutsiest calls in the history of the Super Bowl. New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton’s gamble with an onside kick to start the second half proved to be the momentum-turning play that led the once-hapless franchise to its first NFL championship in Super Bowl XLIV with a 34-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

NFL Films captured all the glory of Super Bowl XLIV which pitted the biggest name in football — Peyton Manning — against the NFL’s greatest story — the New Orleans Saints. It was a game that lived up to the hype. When it was all over, more people had watched the game than any other program in the history of television.

There were no more bags on fans heads, no more shouts of “Ain’ts.” No more doubts remained about the character and ability of this team as the confetti showered down from the sky at Sun Life Stadium in Miami and covered MVP Drew Brees and his 1-year-old son along with the rest of the team in the center of the field.

NFL Films broke the season into three segments: regular season, post-season and Super Bowl.

From the team’s beginning in 1967 to 21 years later and their first winning season to 2005 and a city devastated by Katrina, owner Tom Benson and his daughter Rita Benson LeBlanc, the team’s owner/executive vice president, made a commitment to rebuild the team.

It started in 2006 with the hiring of Payton as head coach and acquisition of Drew Brees in free agency. Key moves from general manager Mickey Loomis propelled the team into the playoffs. Although they initially fell short, they made great strides over the next couple of years to become one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league.

The 2009 season started with three impressive victories over Detroit, Philadelphia and Buffalo, averaging more than 40 points per game. But it wasn’t just Brees. This year they used a balanced attack, utilizing the skills of running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush along with receivers Devery Henderson, Marques Colson and Jeremy Shockey.

NFL films does a great job of capturing sideline commentary from the team throughout the season.

The Saints continued to pile up wins throughout the season, building a 13-0 mark before a showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. It was a high-water mark for Tony Romo and the Cowboys as they built up a 24-3 lead before the Saints mounted a second-half comeback to narrow the score to 24-17. But a late fumble by Brees ended the final drive and the Saints hope of an undefeated season.

It was a stunning blow for the team that staggered them for the remainder of the regular season. After an overtime loss against Tampa Bay, Payton decided to bench most of the starters for the season finale against the Carolina Panthers.

After a bye in the first week of the playoffs, some wondered if the Saints had what it takes to make it to the Super Bowl.

Nobody apparently told Brees that.

“Remember how we got here, because we smelled greatness and we wanted to be special,” Brees told the team in pregame before start of first playoff game against Arizona Cardinals.

The team jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter and then cruised to a 45-14 win as the Saints defense pummeled Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner all afternoon.

The NFC championship game in New Orleans was a classic between two gunslingers — Brees and aging legend Brett Favre. The two teams trade touchdowns and end regulation notched at 28-28.

The Saints won the toss in OT and drove the ball down the field to set up a possible game-winning 40-yard field goal by kicker Garrett Hartley.

Drama builds in slow motion on the kick as Favre, Payton and Brees watch and it slowly goes through the uprights. Saints players are jumping up and down and rushing to carry Hartley off the field.

“Pigs have flown and hell has frozen over!” the Saints radio announcer blasts. “They are going to Miami. A win has washed away a torrent of bitter memories. Nobody’s going to bed tonight. Sleep is so overrated!”

Just as one would expect, the section on the Super Bowl hits all the pre-game highlights as the players line up for the national anthem. Interestingly, cameras catch Payton talking to officials about procedure for a possible onside kick.

As they had with Kurt Warner and Brett Favre, the Saints defense wanted to leave Manning with “remember me” shots. But it was Manning who landed the first shot with a TD pass to Pierre Garson.

The Saints began making the little plays after Colts prevented the big ones. They played the clock, especially in the second quarter when they had the ball for all but three plays. Yet the Saints failed to score despite a first and goal at the 3-yard line. Three plays later, the Colts were forced to punt and the Saints drove down for a field goal to end the half.

Payton’s major move was an onside kick to start second half, documented brilliantly by the NFL Films crew. It made you feel as if you were at the bottom of the pile. The Saints recovered and marched down the field to score on a TD pass to Thomas from Brees.

Manning answered, driving the Colts down for what turned out to be their last TD of the game on a run by Joseph Addai.

After a Saints field goal to narrow the score to 17-16, they marched down the field for a go-ahead score on a TD strike to Shockey. They followed with a two-point conversion pass to Lance Moore to take the lead 24-17.

Manning tried to lead his team back but instead throws interception to Tracy Porter who returned it more than 70 yards for TD and commanding 31-17 lead.

Cameras captured a nervous Payton on the sidelines with about three minutes left in the game, having a Juicy Fruit gum attack as the Saints defense lined up for one last stop of the Colts. An assistant quickly came to the rescue as the Saints defense held, preserving the win.

“We believed in ourselves,” Brees said. “We knew we had an entire city, and maybe an entire country rooting for us.”

Mardi Gras may have been nine days away, but the celebration quickly turned into a “Lombardi-gras” as the team celebrated with the Super Bowl trophy.

Extras:

• Super Bowl Media Day

• Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show featuring the Who

• Postgame ceremonies

• Anthony Hargrove: A Player’s Journey: The 6-3, 272-lb. defensive tackle in first year with the Saints was an inspiration to the defensive crew led by drill sergeant Greg Williams. Hargrove grew up in foster care after his mom died from an AIDS-related illness when he was young. He managed to earn a scholarship to Georgia Tech and played for two years. He was later drafted by St. Louis and traded to Buffalo before he landed with the Saints. He also was suspended for the 2008 season for drug use. Now he’s taking it one day at a time and has turned his life around, getting back to that boy he was before mom died.